Cadillac Eldorado Northstar Coolant Leak - Thermostat

[@tomduncan1970]

I love watching these early videos. It funny hearing him talk about just getting 2K subs. Here is is just over 4 years later and he is over 314K..... and he deserves every one of them. Definately one of the best channels on KZbin!

[@matthewhamrick1099]

August 2020 461k subs lol

[@nikroche2621]

@@matthewhamrick1099 November..492k...long live South Main Auto God bless ya Mr O.

[@johngreene6783]

January 2021 - 511k subs

[@liveinmyamerica]

Same thing went through my mind when he mentioned it. Had to look and see when it came out.

[@ahmadghosheh3104]

June 2021 with 582K.

[@satamanschmidt3428]

I'm not surprised by your success. You have the perfect formula. Running a real, not fake, shop you simply show people what you do on a daily basis with the cars that come in for repair whatever that may be. Nothing is staged and nothing is faked and your not working on the same tired Honda's all of the time (hint to the other Eric). I would encourage you to start doing more videos on the more complicated stuff, Like an engine rebuild or automatic transmission, these would of course have to be divided into several parts, but more stuff like the Subaru head gasket series would be great.

[@SouthMainAuto]

You know a lot of peeps loved that subaru series. I don't rebuild engines or tranny's in house simply because I get remans (usually from Jasper Engines) they have a 3yr 100k parts and labor warranty. Hard to offer that on a in house rebuild :) I will try to kick out longer vids when time allows though. Get stuff in everyday so Lord willing we will get some more :)

[@satamanschmidt3428]

South Main Auto Repair Engine and transmission swap outs would be great. There are plenty of on the stand engine rebuild vids showing somebody using a ring compressor and a hammer handle to push the pistons into the cylinder. What's missing is showing how much stuff has to be done to get the engine out of and back into the car. I have a Pontiac Grand Prix how to remove the engine and transmission from the car has me far more concerned than rebuilding the engine does as I've build racing engines. I've got 245,000 miles on my engine and transmission and although both are working fine nothing last forever but my Grand Prix is going to. Living in Arizona my car is absolutely rust free. I'd like to see how the engine and transmission are removed and replaced. I know you live in New York and I'm originally from Pittsburgh so I know about salt and Winter, although I've now spent 20 years trying to forget about those nightmarish things, but out here a car can last forever. My dad had an expression about whether you should repair a car or scrap it and this is it: If it's nuts and bolts fix it, if the word welding comes into play scrap it. What he meant by that is no matter what mechanical part is bad it can be replaced, when you've got no floor in the cabin or the trunk and your quarter panels are rusted out you've got to scrap the car. Out here you literally never have to scrap the car.

[@SouthMainAuto]

I would be blown away by the cars there and would prolly never wanna come home lol. I do love upstate NY though... yeah the salt sucks but the season (winter, mud, construction and hunting) are the best. It's a beautiful part of the country here for sure. Sure would be nice to have a car that lasts forever though :)

[@satamanschmidt3428]

South Main Auto Repair We have four seasons as well. Great (that's right now), hotter, pretty hot and you've got to be kidding me hot. July, August and September are brutal. Other than that it's amazing. I live in a place called Paradise Valley. They didn't name it that for nothing.

[@DaytonCarCare]

Come on don't pick on Eric lol

[@johnmacpheesr.3574]

You mentioned your up to 2000 subscribers at this time. Your now officially over 500k subscribers. You may not realize it but people enjoy your work. You have personally educated me a bit and I have utilized some of your methods with great success. Thanks for sharing your life and knowledge with us. It has impacted me personally in a positive manner! Thanks again good sir!

[@dronedbr]

Now over 619k. Good content and honest work are driving the success.

[@jeffsancinati1054]

@@dronedbr 666k subscribers Feb of 2022

[@NorthstarAutomotive]

I do love Northstars. They are just different and much more sophisticated then a GM small block. Once you get used to them they are just like any other engine. My 96 STS went 265k before the head gaskets needed to be replaced so I studded the block and expect another 250k. The 90-95 DOHC 375hp Corvette ZR1 is the predecessor to the N* and was co-developed with Lotus and Mercury Marine.

[@Resistculturaldecline]

Never had one til about a year & half ago. Always heard they were problematic, and at least for me it's been true. Prob the most difficult engine I've tried to keep tuned and running right. Misfire and rough running no matter what I try.

[@JPVolvo]

The post 2005 Northstar’s are basically bulletproof, awesome engines

[@63256325N]

You're getting the following because you're a good mechanic and likable. Thanks for the video.

[@davidjames666]

Coil on plugs found on a car sold over 20 years ago!!! Cadillac, you never cease to amaze me!!

[@notajp]

David James Homelite had coil on plug ignition on some of their chainsaws back in the seventies. I have a Homelite 360 that has it.

[@damirrorlink]

I think mostly the interest is people that just like watching repair videos. I know I'll never have to work on an El Dorado Northstar, but if I ever did for some reason, I know how to replace the thermostat. I just oddly enjoy watching repair videos o_o

[@SouthMainAuto]

DaMirrorLink If you ever see a Northstar.. just turn and walk the direction you came from... trust me haha

[@18888888888888888886]

South Main Auto Repair Hahaha... i dont know why everyone hates them... i guess i love them because of the torque

[@SouthMainAuto]

Oh don't get me wrong I love to drive them! They are ... well they are customers cars but I bet they really haul haha

[@starxlr7863]

+South Main Auto Repair No its one of the best performance engines from GM and Cadillac! Problems only happen from lack of proper maintenance. Plain and simple!

[@crisprtalk6963]

welcome to the club.

[@rickuyeda4818]

It's a pleasure watching you work. Finally, an honest mechanic. I figure most mechanics would tell the customer they needed a water and a thermostat rather than track down the problem. My wife Boss and an old Full Size Ford Bronco. It overheated so he took it to the dealers. The dealer told him he needed a new engine so I asked him to describe what happened when it overheated? I asked him if white smoke came out of the tailpipe? He said no, so I told him to take it to a regular garage so see what they say. I told him if they said the same thing, I would be over to check. The problem? The radiator was low!

[@shaun27ful]

What I like about your KZbin channel is you do a variety of work from very simple stuff to quite in-depth electronic work, which most of the other channels out there don't really do that, plus with you. You can see everything is not staged and planned if it goes wrong it goes wrong and let's be honest, that's how mechanics are some days simple jobs go wrong. I may not always comment on your videos, but believe me I've seen about 20 now and I've gave them a thumbs up and will continue doing that. Keep up the good work you are doing a fantastic job on here. I'm sure you will get loads of subscribers, all the best from shaun in a fairly sunny London uk .

[@SouthMainAuto]

shaun pi I am glad you enjoy them Shaun and thanks for watching. Sunny London, wow that is so cool, I have hardly been out of NY state lol. I try to keep the channel real because life happens right?

[@hittz8331]

I always enjoy Eric O tutorials! Thanks Much.

[@TheDaf95xf]

Your personality is just fabulous Eric O 😆 I love watching your videos 😄 Well done 👍🏻

[@simonmatthews1980]

Hey thanks for the tip with the socket and paper towel. That saved my butt today replacing the thermostat on my wife's odyssey. That trick I will pass on to my boys in the years to come! Thanks !!

[@SouthMainAuto]

:) Always glad to hear when someone gets something useful from a vid :)

[@davehatch1946]

The surprised remark about having 2k subscribers was so genuine. 185k now !! Thanks for sharing your knowledge

[@Supersonicff-dw6bs]

Almost 272k now!

[@shadowzedge5793]

336,287 now 😈

[@CurtisAllgood]

Thanks for the video.. I know it was a simp video but you put me where I needed to be at checking out and fixing the issues I have on my car. mine ended up being the water pump had to dig a little deeper but with what you showed I was on it! Water pump was out so I had to go get the tool for just that pump to remove it. still not a big deal but you put me where I needed to be. as a at home garage guy fixing his own stuff thanks!

[@Radienleo]

Congrats on 15000 Subscribers!! (10.16.15 at 3am) People enjoy your videos because your honest and you show us what your life is like daily. Its also interesting to us to see your customers problems with their cars. Best of all you reply to us! Thanks for bringing us these videos.

[@SouthMainAuto]

+Randy Leonard Glad u guys enjoy it as much as I do :)

[@mikechiodetti6737]

I never worked on an ELDO, so for me it was something new. I've heard of the Northstar's reputation for coolant leaks and other problems. I've also heard that they're fast with lots of power! Great Video!

[@snw56]

Good job Eric O. Replacing a multi-function switch in a '99 Chevy Blazer rates high on my "difficult to do" list. Even with my long, thin fingers it turned into a 3 1/2 hour job. Cheap plastic parts (easy to break), working in cramped, hard to see spaces made it quite challenging.

[@Eastahtata]

Are those the ones that don't unplug from the column but have a crapload of wires running down who knows where into the kick panel?

[@SouthMainAuto]

Dan.vaku Yeah they are, they have the 3 piece connector at the bottom of the column you have to pop apart.

[@white89gt]

Watching this video brought back bad memories. I had a 94 STS, and working on that pig turned me away from GM. The whole thing is full of bad ideas. The water pump, the starter, crappy blocks, black overfill tanks...........

[@1337penguinman]

I remember years ago I did a tranny flush on one of those, strongly against my advice. Sure enough, it comes back with the customer yelling that we broke it because it had "started" leaking and slipping. Thank heaven I always loaded my tickets down with notes.

[@lyndonchappell]

The most entertaining show on KZbin. Its cool to watch the early stuff and see the improved video quality as time goes by,

[@craigdreisbach7975]

Thank you for your videos. I have been binge watching for the past 3 days. You give me the confidence for taking on many repair jobs. You are the best at demonstrating repairs crushing Scotty Kilmer, Eric the car guy, and 1A auto. They do a respectable job, but not as good as you. Kind regards

[@SouthMainAuto]

Thanks +craig dreisbach !

[@blacknova23]

Imagine that a leaking north star engine. Props to the owner for getting that fix. Normally they just let it leak and top off the reservoir.

[@Mr12stringman]

Nice job. Good find also. Sometimes a North Star can be intimidating. I like your calm approach to your repairs. I was an Aircraft Mechanic for 40 years at UAL, and you thing that North Star is tight, everything is tight and compact in an aircraft. Easy to be intimidated on those, but the more you do, the better it gets, dealing with the cramped spaces in those machines. Thanks again for your easing going nature, and impressing an old airplane nut like myself. Important things you're doing is bringing the young crowd into wrenching. Keep it up. Peace

[@johnnybugnkaty]

Thank you for making these videos. I just bought a 98 El Dorado, 85000 miles on it. Major overheating problems. Even if I can’t do the repairs myself, I can see how the job is done.

[@robinpean4097]

My worst recent job was on my 08 tundra. I had to change the alternator on it the real problem is I was diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer last February on Valentines Day to be exact and had half my stomach and about 75% of my esophagus removed and then they were sewn together. They went in the front and through my back so lying on the ground I took off the sway bar and the panel in the passenger side fender well. I took the wheel off so I was doing a lot of pulling myself around with my arms sitting up and lying down. My wife told me to ask my sons to help me but that was the most work I’ve done since my surgery and I was sore for a week but it was something I needed to do. I’m only 52 years old and the doctors gave me a year last September but a year is coming up fast and I feel pretty good. Hopefully I got a lot more time. I just found your channel and enjoy watching your videos on long chemo days or the days that I’m just too tired to get out especially on our hot summer days down here in Southeast Texas. Looking forward to watching more. Thanks Pat

[@allanadam4553]

1999 Nissan GT-R oil pump, engine out replacement, doing in my garage, was the original as car has only 50k miles. Some say you can pry down the oil pan from the block and remove oil pump but no guarantees to ever get it to seal properly with engine in car. It was time for a new clutch, water pump, timing belt and a complete turbo side overhaul anyway? Cost me mote but will have a new motor when done. Thanks to ERIC O giving me the confidence to do this level of work.

[@WizzRacing]

Reminds me of the guy that has a Toyota. All he could talk about was 10 year antifreeze changes. I laughed so hard at him. He doesn't think the water pump, raditor or hoses will fail long before that. As that stuff cost $40.00 a gallon to replace any lost coolant!

[@Browningate]

For all the foibles GM had with Northstar in those early years, you've gotta hand it to their design department for making the most classy and anti-1990s auto body of the 1990s in the Eldorado. While everybody else was making boring soap bars, GM built this timeless classic. There's an interview floating around the web, from a few years ago, where they actually talked to the person who was primarily responsible for this design. I have a lot of respect for people who can design outside of their decade like that. It's too bad that there's not a ton of these left in the rust belt for Eric and company to feature in videos any longer.

[@compteck7]

Gotta love the Northstar's...if they aren't leaking coolant out of the pump, head or stat, they are dripping oil out the oil pan, crank carrier or valve covers...keep up the great work Eric O!

[@larrystephens7437]

Had to grin. Up to almost 2,000 subscribers! What a difference four years and well produced content will make.

[@TheBlt55]

My worst job was on my 89 Mustang, thermostat housing bolt broke and I was unable to drill it, wound up having to replace the lower intake. Learned my lesson and I put Stainless all-thread in the lower intake to thermostat housing . I hate how a fifteen minute turns into a cluster. Love your channel!

[@jasonpelton7252]

Because ur a good teacher thanks man for working on that classic. The eldo will always be a classic think about it.

[@720angelcastillojrrios]

I love your videos I mean your so helpful and funny but I am not a easy person to teach and you have help me so much I can’t wait until you do a video on a 2006 Cadillac DTS water pump replacement Ik the type of car is a headache for most and I have had that headache but my son took his apart and Will got sick with the cross over and I’m trying hard to do it myself and I can’t because I don’t know where to start but I do thank you for everything you do and how you and your wife are a great team y’all are wonderful

[@roycereynolds1514]

Oh Eric, 2k subscribers shows how much we like you and the work you do, I enjoy your videos, very informative.

[@joauld]

Had a starter go out on me on my(new to me) $300 1996 Lexus ls400. Looked all over the car for the starter and couldn't find it. Turned out the starter was underneath both the upper and lower intakes. You also had to remove the rear coolant bridge and a major wiring loom. Got the starter replaced, fired I up and found out I had broken the EGR(common problem for this car)pipe that was attached to the coolant bridge. Had to redo all that labor again. Would have been over $2000 had I taken it to a Lexus shop. To make it worse, I broke a rubber seal in the water pump on the coolant pipe that runs the length of the engine valley while I was horsing hoses off pipes to get the intakes off. A coolant leak followed the initial repair that caused me to take the intakes off two more times to get that seal properly seated. Ended up being a month's worth of work for me to get it all fixed in my driveway.

[@JohnRodriguesPhotographer]

Did a head gasket for a friend one time. They had no money. So I couldn't take the head to a machine shop to be trued. Based on what she told me she did when it blew the gasket I was pretty worried about the head being warped. I talked everything down double checked it. Everything look good I made sure they can sit and move when I took the belt off and on I made her get a water pump swapped out the water pump while I was in there. It's good piece of preventive maintenance on those four cylinders if you're taking the front of the engine apart. Once you got it all together I left the plugs on just spend the engine yeah the head was warped. She didn't want to spend the money to have the head checked in machine so she had it towed out of my front yard. That sucked

[@joshsmith210]

Funny watching your 2015 video and it's now october 2021..you're a skilled mechanic and a great teacher..yes I've worked on a northstar..99 caddy deville replaced a water pump, and even tougher job on that caddy was replacing a solenoid in the tranny with no room to remove the pan..I had to drop the cradle down far enough to get the pan off and finally got to that solenoid..what a pita ! Scary job too, the car wasnt 6 or 7 yrs old and my buddy's baby..I kept him away from my driveway for over a week while the cradle was sitting on cinder blocks and tranny exposed..job went well and problems solved , all was good until he lost control of the car coming off a ramp during middle winter and stuffed the nose into a solid snowbank..ouch!

[@brandenwilliams1156]

It’s crazy seeing this video where you were just reaching 2k subs, and here ya are at almost 900k 🤣 I have a 97 Seville and while doing some research, I came across this video. My coolant is leaking in the exact same place and I really hope the replacement is as easy as you made it seem, and I hope it’s just the thermostat and not the whole water pump that needs replacing lol I’ll definitely come back when it’s finished and make an update on it

[@richevans7171]

There's a good chance you'll be seeing that caddy again soon with Bad head gaskets, as I'm sure you know northstars are notorious for head gasket problems. Probably my two least favorite jobs that I've done was changing the oil on a VW touraeg and brake lines on an s10. If you've never changed the oil on a touraeg it sure is a pain in the ass. I was a lube tech for VW last year but I decided to get out of the automotive industry and just work on cars for a hobby and to save myself money. You have a great channel by the way, my favorite repair channel on KZbin besides scottykilmer. Keep it up man, great work.

[@SouthMainAuto]

Thanks Richard Evans ... yeah VW = Virtually Worthless...

[@jarinwilson9539]

Running brake lines to this day, I still hate doing. But if I am getting paid, sign me up.

[@SouthMainAuto]

Mehh... Nicopp has made doing brake lines a little better but yeah, its a job I could do with out too

[@Eastahtata]

Did you really just compare Dr. Eric to Scotty Kilmer?? Come on man...

[@SouthMainAuto]

Dan.vaku he did... and he said he likes Scotty Kilmer better :( ... Uhhh I'm trying , I'm trying haha

[@craig9802]

2,000 sub's 3.5 years ago? Now look at you! I can't believe you've added 20 k in the past few weeks! You're doing a lot of things right. Keep up the good work.

[@KarateSensei71]

Eric O. shouting out to Harbor Freight radiator tools, not a sponsor. Love the OG videos, Eric is a class act, love his tips and methods.

[@stevevogelman3360]

2k subscribers holy cats now almost half a mil congrats Eric you deserve all of em. Great channel I watch almost daily.

[@phprofYT]

My worst job? Knee deep in cow manure with a pitch fork and it was cold outside. Pitching and shoveling cow manure because the spreader was broken in I don't remember how cold weather before it all froze up. That sucked. Then there was the time I crawled 45 feet up a dirt silo chute to fix the silo unloader with a 101 degree fever on my 21st birthday and it was -10F. Thanks Dad. Dang near fell the last 20 feet down which would have surely broke both of my legs. Now I teach physics to entitled college students that don't know anything about real life but act like they do. Where's that pile of manure again? I feel like accomplishing something today.

[@larryehrlich8702]

Florida 2009 Honda Fit Sport with 315,000 miles on it. Bought it new when the Government did the cash for clunkers. Other than normal maintenance (brakes, oil, tires, coolant flush, spark plugs, etc) the only thing we have had go wrong was the cruise control switch. It's been an extremely reliable car. Drove it to Alaska and back from Florida. Hoping to get half a million miles before we get rid of it. The interior is great except where the heal of the right foot sits on the floorboard to push the gas control.

[@arcdraw]

My first solo repair project (with out my dad's help) was a thermostat replacement on a Mazda. It wasn't the hardest thing but it stands out because I was on my own with out my safety net/dad. Thanks for taking the time to make videos!

[@SouthMainAuto]

Well... how did it turn out? Dads are great aren't they? I still get to work with mine on occasion. He comes down to my shop and helps out once in a while when I get behind.

[@arcdraw]

Yes they are! I'm constantly calling my dad for diagnostic help from 2000 miles away. The thermostat change out came out great still holding up with no issues.

[@tylermacconnell217]

Late ‘90’s Audi A8 Quattro 4.2L V8. $1200 fuel pump with saddle style tank over the rear driveshaft...one “transfer” pump and one primary pump. Access is all the way forward in the trunk. Or the starter, which requires jacking up the engine and removing one motor mount to access. Or the timing belts, where the entire front fascia must be removed for access. Lovely car when it’s all working...

[@longfieldcommercials]

Yep Audi 80 quotro,changing the couch master cylinder,above the pedal box! Then bleed the bars tend,do your best,then leave over night,works every time,enjoyed the video mr o.

[@blackiechong4344]

Today many thermostats do not come with gaskets. So it is good practice to always make sure you get a gasket when you order a thermostat.

[@wysetech2000]

Congrats on your 2000 subscribers. You deserve every one of us. You make repairing cars appear so simple and enjoyable. You have the right amount of skill, talent and patients required to do the job successfully. I'm sure you must edit out all the stressful parts and temper tantrums but it adds to your personality. I always say "no wonder some mechanics become alcoholics". I wish you continued success. One of the worst jobs I ever did, something like Za Audi clutch was replacing a front wheel bearing on a 93 Intrepid. It was HOT and humid as hell that day. I couldn't get the axle splines out of the hub. Once I realized there was no turning back I beat on that deal with a sledge hammer until I couldn't lift the hammer anymore. Since I'm a very determined guy, I eventually cut the whole deal apart with the cutting torch. Once I settled down I realized that something was messed in my right shoulder. After X-rays etc. they found some of the tendons were torn. It still bothers me today. I'm sure after 46 years in the trade I have had worse jobs but I will never forget that one. The late,great Smokey Yunick used to call German cars. "Wiener Guzzlers".

[@SouthMainAuto]

Lol did ya at least win the war with that intrepid in the end? Oh we all have our days man! And btw there is a little bit of editing that goes on here haha but I won't say how much ;)

[@wysetech2000]

South Main Auto Repair Yeah......I won the war with the Intrepid. I never give up until it works or I fall down. LoL.

[@SouthMainAuto]

Lol I know that feeling :)

[@mailpup]

I know there are worse jobs but in my DIY experience replacing the electric/hydraulic motor for the convertible top on a 2003 BMW Z4 was quite a job. You have to remove the whole top to access the motor. It comes out attached to the top. It helps if you or a helper is small since we had to climb into the trunk to get to some of the fasteners. The motor sits in a small tub with a drain hole at the bottom and is housed in plastic "protective" clamshell which is lined with soft foam cushioning. When it rains or you wash the car water soaks the foam lining and doesn't seem to ever dry out. Water soaked foam pressed next to the electric motor corrodes it to a rusty mess causing eventual failure.

[@stuzman52]

Great video Eric and you're right about VWs having a lot of plastic which is everywhere. I've broke my share of plastic on those things among other cars too. Have a good one!

[@SouthMainAuto]

Fantastic Plastic! Hey you back in the US of A yet?

[@stuzman52]

South Main Auto Repair Yep, just got back in this morning around 11:00. Good to be back after two weeks as it's nothing like home.

[@SouthMainAuto]

Oh nice! Welcome back.... man you got some YT to catch up on... we've been busy :)

[@stuzman52]

South Main Auto Repair You're right about that Eric. You've been pretty busy. I need to do a catch up on all of the YT videos now. Later man....

[@johnnyrocket3994]

I like your videos because you're pretty local. And its nice to see another tech battling rust and the shitty weather. I NEVER let anyone touch my vehicles but me. But Im gonna need new springs on my 2012 ram mega cab. Can your lift handle 11k lbs?? I need front springs installed. I broke my back not to long ago and its a job I can't handle. My worst job was a engine R & R on a V6 passat. After i1 head was torn off by the customer, then I got a bad used engine so I had to do it twice. great times.

[@SouthMainAuto]

Oh snap, a bad salvage yard engine, who would have guessed!? I hate junk yard motors. As far as my lift goes both of them are only 10k

[@johnnyrocket3994]

My truck weights 10360 according to the local scrap yards scales when I had a pretty much full tank of fuel. Any thing you'd have interest in doing or is the weight to close for comfort for you?

[@SouthMainAuto]

Yeah as much as I'd like to that'd be pushing the limits on the lift in my big bay. Plus that lift over there is just one of those cheap Bend Pak lifts. They say 10 but they really mean 8. I hope to get a new Mohawk lift this summer. Looking to replace it with a 14k when the time is right :)

[@gbowne1]

South Main Auto Repair I had a tough time trying to find a place that will lift my 2007 E350 box truck. Finally went to a place that just does trucks, big vans, small RV's, etc.. They had one that did around 10k-20k.

[@antonoudenhoven7573]

Who else is here in 2022. Love to find these old gems

[@sambya]

448k subs and watching Eric talk about 2000 subscribers, lol.... Humble beginnings! ❤️

[@mariamadrid2508]

Grandma here not willing to give up on 99 Cadillac elegance deVille. Leaking coolant after sitting awhile. Hoping it's only a hose but love watching troubleshooting videos before tearing into system. Leaks too much to be a housing gasket but enjoyed your no nonsense approach to finding source of leak.

[@mariamadrid2508]

Update on Cadillac: replaced thermostat. Thanks for tip on bottom bolt . I spent 2 hours trying to get that bolt back in! Dropping it too many times to count. Thanks

[@richardpancham7556]

great informational videos. very good explanation. you are a great teacher. exceptional work

[@akawireguy1197]

My most difficult job was also my most satisfying. I rebuilt the G-52 5 speed transmission in my '86 Toyota 4X4 truck. I had never even seen the inside of a manual transmission. I did it without a press. I actually created some tooling in addition the the OTC bearing splitter I bought. I fabricated an adapter that allowed me to bolt the thing to my 1 1/4 ton Walker floor jack which I made a short handle for. I put it back together and still had my original problem. I spent two weeks trying to logic my way to what I had missed and came to the conclusion that what I had thought was a decent looking 1-2 shift fork was actually worn down to nothing but was so clean it looked like it had been machined that way. I ordered a new one and here's these big meaty pads on it that were completely missing on the original. Oops. But a rebuild kit and a new 1-2 shift fork and 1-2 slider and it works fine. The 1-2 shifting is tight, probably a Chinese slider that is a couple thousandths tight. I'm hoping it will loosen up in time.

[@rss608]

thanks, I replaced the thermostat 10 years ago in 96 eldo and it has gone out again. I had forgotten where the heck it was. and how easy it is to do it. I drain the tank with an old electric fuel pump, then pop top hose and push a hose down the throat into the radiator. Seems to work. Also, I use the old style green coolant, talked to a caddy factory trained mechanic and he told me that the first thing they did on this year was to pull the original coolant and replace it with the green 2 year stuff. something in it that apparently eats the gaskets and causes head gasket failure after a few years. I have 143k on mine now and no leaks.

[@starxlr7863]

+Roy Saxton So you use the green coolant in your 96?? I use Dexcool in all my newer Cadillac's. Even went to Dexcool in my older 4100 Cadillac's and never had any problems. Dexcool antifreeze is better since it is silicate and phophate free and it help protect aluminum engines and components better than the green coolant. If it works for you that's great. Just curious as I use Dexcool in my Cadillac's.

[@NYKgjl10]

I use dexcool on my 97 Eldorado as well and I never had any issues.

[@DrVink86]

The problem with the Northstar headgaskets has nothing to do with the coolant, it's the aluminum block and head bolts with fine threads. Bolts end up getting pulled out of the block.

[@jaredm4208]

Watching this in 2017, and I chuckled when you said you were at 2000 subs. You are at almost 30 times that now!

[@Thermool]

Jared M watching in 2018. February 17 2018 to be exact, over 120k subscribers as of this date.

[@MrSpeed427]

The worst job I have ever done out of the few jobs I have done was the spark plugs on my mom's 05 Escape with the six cylinder. Had to get a Haynes manual to find out they're located under the intake manifold. To remove the intake manifold, you have to: Disconnect the negative battery terminal, air filter housing intake duct, engine cover, accelerator cable, cruise control cable, TPS and IAC valve connectors, EGR vacuum hose, EGR pipe, EGR valve vacuum regulator solenoid connector, vapor management valve, the vacuum lines and electrical connectors from the manifold, and the power steering pressure sensor from the power steering pump. Then you have to remove the transaxle vent hose bracket and the wire harness bracket nut. All of this before undoing the bolts to the manifold.

[@leebarnett2048]

The toughest repair I ever did we replacing the A/C evaporator on a 1984 Thunderbird LX. That evaporator must have been the first part they sat on the assembly line, then they built the car around it.

[@benigo15]

I used to have a 1999 cadillac seville, emphasis on used to. And how I also filled it up with coolant was just fill it up to the point at which the black plastic top and clear plastic bottom meet.

[@davidakins9287]

I know it's an old one, but still a great video, Eric. We're running a Northstar in a 2003 DeVille with just under 100K, and holding our breath every day. Next time the thermostat protrudes out of the block because of the spring trying to keep the flow of coolant shut off, drop it in a pan of hot water. It'll open up, letting you put the housing back without having to push against the spring.

[@stitchbmx]

Worst job I did was head gasket on.....you guessed it Northstar! 01 Eldorado. Miserable 1st time experience due to lack of specialty tools from the shop I was working in. Was. To expecting to drill and rethread every head bolt hole. Learned a lot about north stars but never ever want to due that again. Anyway Good video. Look forward to more!

[@mericafreedomland3583]

Crazy hes talkin bout its crazy for having 2000 subscribers..... now hes over 300k! Soo cool

[@Brooklynraised68]

A friend of mine had a cady with a northstar and I had to convince him to get rid of it always had overheating problems and the parts are junk but then he went with a piece of s#&t bmw I guess he didn't know much about car cause that car was a money pit . I have hats that are over 6 years old and are my work on car hats really appreciate the vids I learn something new every time

[@SouthMainAuto]

All my hats are my work on car hats... well except for my lets go hunting hats :)

[@brianbrundage3116]

My worst job was some type of front wheel dodge I put a new transmission in. Last thing to do was torque converter bolts . Original had 3 junkyard transmission had 4 . I was 18 at the time. I’ve since learned to compare everything

[@mythril4]

My favorite way to find leaks on Northstars is coolant dye. This way my black light flashlight will illuminate all the leaks around the engine, even when there is a lot of dirt and oil buildup. When air pressure is needed, you can also attach a low pressure regulator, one that adjusts to a maximum 30PSI output, makes it easier to adjust for low pressure applications.

[@MrGardman]

I have been watching your videos in no particular order and I come across this one. I realize this is an older one, but to hear you mention that you had 2000 subscribers at the time of this video and you thought that was great. And to look at how many you have now....well Eric you have come a long way.

[@alexandrias1358]

Thank you for this video! We were able to change it in under 20 minutes at night with a utility light no problem!

[@svtirefire]

You really like doing things the hard way lol

[@loutruckmd]

My worst nightmare type job, was putting motor mounts in a 75 mustang with a V6. My Dad had a transmission shop, I used to get all the jobs nobody else wanted to do.

[@ColinFisher]

I allowed my 17 year old to buy a 2002 VW Jetta. When it runs, it's a great little car, but I've had to repair more things on that car in the past year than in all of the years on my Fords and Hondas. One the plus side, parts are plentiful and cheap for the thing, which probably tells you something.

[@1978grizz]

I've spent many a job where I spent more time looking for fasteners that fell into VERY inconvenient spots, than I did on the actual job

[@ShowMeWhatINeedToKnow]

Worst repair for me was trying to replace a thermostat and hoses, which would normally be pretty easy. I managed to get everything apart OK, but really needed a deep socket to get it back together properly. So I hopped on my pedal bike to go get a deep well socket. On my way to the auto parts store a car thought it would be a good idea to pretend they were going to run me over though. In trying to avoid the car, I flew off the bike and broke my arm. Didn't get back home from "urgent care" until like 2am or something, and had to hire a mechanic to come out and put my car back together the next day. The break was in my elbow, which never fully healed -- so I'm reminded of that day, the horrid pain which followed, the years of "recovery" and physical therapy, etc... on a somewhat regular basis. = )

[@SouthMainAuto]

Wow! WOW! Dang, that is the worst job ever so far! I ride a lot of bike myself and cars suck! I stick mostly to trails and back road riding around here and simply try to avoid main roads. When I do head out on my roadie I choose routes that I know have shoulders, especially now days with people texting and driving so much.. Sorry to hear you had such a tragic experience with a thermostat :/

[@elwhastrummer]

1996 Buick Skylark with the big 3.1v6. Had the classic intake coolant leak. I got it probably 90% tore down, and realized I wouldn't have time, tools, remaining stamina to get it done. So I put it back together, and sold it to a fella for $100.00. The car had 88K miles on it and was otherwise spotless. Seemed like every step I took led to a more nightmarish step. I'll stick to brakes, shocks, CV axles and clutches. Much easier.

[@brentadriance6339]

Spot on with the plastic VW fasteners. I've broke all but one when working on the car (2002 Jetta GLS) and they seem to be everywhere.

[@verticallipseat]

Great video buddy!! Speaking of the worst jobs u mentioned, the toughest one I did, thar I can say, was replacing the power steering pressure hose on my wife's 01 deville! With no lift, just jack stands, lol! Took me 4.25hrs!! I also replaced both rear window regulators, but am having a hell of a time reinstalling those damn rear door panels, lol. Those plastic clips that hold panels to door keeps breaking, ugg!

[@bg14420031]

Thanks Dr.O. Lol. The tip on the piece of paper towel will be helpful !! Damn , so simple ,but never thought of that one , and always have those disposable towels in my pocket! Also I was on iTunes to see how to replace thermostat. Going to try to replace my cap First because that’s all broken up, gasket anyway. And I took my reservoir out because I see that that gets plugged up also. It was extremely dirty. Couldn’t even see the level mark on the side where it is clear , and after flush .Hopefully that’s my problem because it’s overheating could be an array of things. Talk to y’all soon

[@thomasfletcher760]

Those are soooo much fun to replace ( and the water pump ) , had to on my 97 . 17170 miles and still running . Fuel pump is next ( not gonna be fun )

[@DJDevon3]

Pretty sure your hat is well past the broken in phase when the brim starts to go. I like how the new hat is camo so it won't be a big change from what we're used to seeing you with. :)

[@SouthMainAuto]

The one I wear all the time.. well truth is I have 3 of them equally as worn and they get rotated through the wash :)

[@DJDevon3]

South Main Auto Repair Sent you a private message.

[@robertredmond77]

Northstar is like a Volkswagen, every tim you touch it it brakes. That is a very good description of it hahaha

[@brightsummer4442]

i love the Northstar!. thanks Eric great work as usual!!

[@Carm0083]

Hey Eric love the videos, Keep them coming. I think its time for South Main auto to do a tool box video :) That would be cool I'm sure all your fans would like it. I know i would. Thanks

[@SouthMainAuto]

Shhhh I told them I was gonna do it for the 100th video but no one noticed yet :) Lol it's coming up but time has been a little tight lately

[@pherdog82]

Lost my caddy virginity to a north star. Our shop instructor made us change the starter on one. Had to go ask him we can't find it haha

[@jimzivny1554]

I've worked on some beauties, one nightmare that comes to mind is during the eighties Caddy came out with the 8-6-4 system, I'd rather stick a pencil in my eye than work on another. Engine computer controls were in their infancy, they were bad days LOL

[@keithstudly6071]

Replacing the master clutch cylinder in a 2000 Camaro. If I could have seen what I was doing it would not have been too bad but the only way that would have happened was to pull the master brake cylinder and booster first. It took 2 day and two weeks for my arms to heal up from all the cuts from reaching around that brake booster!

[@OcelotTheFurious]

My worst job ever was replacing the heater core on my 1991 Corvette. Spent 8 hours getting the heater box screws and getting crap out of the way and 6 hours putting it back together. It was a nightmare.. I found doing the heads on it to be so much easier than that damn heater core

[@erickelly8704]

Eric good video I have a 07 passat they should come with a do not diy sticker I had to rebuild the head because the fuel cam wore through omg all the specialty tools u need and the things u have to replace then vcds what a pain got it to run first time woo hoo

[@notsureigaf]

Bout 5 years late on this one, but the worst job I ever had to do was a timing belt + head replacement on my ex's DOHC Neon many years ago. The belt job by itself wouldn't have been too terrible, but unfortunately we lost the timing belt at about 60mph and banged up several valves. So I got a good used head from someone on a Neon forum and got to work, putting in a new MLS head gasket, head bolts, the whole nine, and that part of the job actually went easier than expected. Getting near the finish line, I could not get the damn timing marks on the cams to align no matter what I did. Over and over I tried re-installing the belt, following the instructions to the letter, but the marks were always off by about 1/2 tooth. All I could come up with was that the head may have been milled at some point in its life and so the belt didn't align perfectly, so I gave up and finished putting the car back together. Not surprisingly, got a CEL for the cam timing being off, so I took it to the Dodge dealer to have a re-learn done. Wouldn't you know it, that engine ran like a top for 6 more years after that, pulling hard as ever until we sold the car.

[@bentboybbz]

Did water pump housing gaskets on a northstar once. Told the customer it probably had a bad head gasket to blow chunks of them out. (There are four) he insisted so i did it. As soon as system was pressurised again after first start and shut off hydrolocked. Lol.

[@mlcharris4426]

Your good that why I watch your a great help!

[@toyotatechMDT]

Great content and great guy, that's why people are interested. Just don't start shouting in dark glasses!

[@SouthMainAuto]

What about jumping out of a trunk?

[@GRowe1978]

+South Main Auto Repair What about thrashing the piss out of a Stingray before each video?

[@mikeshinobi4688]

@@SouthMainAuto Don't forget to ring that bell!

[@JamesJohnson-kw9gh]

Hey I'm sure your gonna love this ,I just remembered who you remind me of .it's red green when he was much younger you sound and look like him the only thing is you use less duct tape.i wish I could attach a link it's you my friend.

[@Jay0321]

My worst job... Working on my daughter's 2000 Ford Taurus. She had to have it back within 3 days because she was going back to college from break. I had to change the heater core and hoses. Had to pull the dash partially out so you can get to the core itself. Everyone made is sound and look so easy by simply pulling out the core, hers happened to be stuck almost like it was glued in. It took a couple of bigger screwdrivers for me to pry it out. Eventually, it came out.I have big forearms, so reaching down to loosen the clamps and hoses on the core was a painful task, I had to take some items from the firewall and all that plastic, it still was a chore.Putting it back together again was a pain, but not as bad as trying to get it apart. Doesn't sound too bad right?Did I mention that I did this while I had a bad cold and in -12 and -22 degree temperatures in an unheated garage? Winter in Wisconsin...

[@SteveRobReviews]

Ha looked like the car was moving when you were putting pressure in the tank. My pleasure rig has three screw on bladders that fit everything so far. Since I don't have 35 year old eyes I use a optical snake with a magnifying glass and 2 million lumins light :) Alway great camera placement and lighting. Cat in the bag - nope not a saying up here - just in the bag kinda means something little different. 👍

[@SouthMainAuto]

Lol well the car was moving.. I had it up in the air a bit so I don't have to bend over. Don't worry that's not the MB playin tricks on ya :) 2 Million Lumins haha, that'd give ya sun burn to.... No stories about worst car repair? Oh wait you drive GM Bahahaha

[@SteveRobReviews]

Ok Eric you got time for a story- 1975 Lamborghini Countach six weber carbs (my auto nightmare) and this real nice women brings her car over to my house , God only knows why , I guess she seen me out in the drive way always working on cars so she thinks I can fix her car. She tells me it's running rough and could I fix it, she would leave it for me and I was to call her when it's ready, well if she wasn't like 6 feet tall legs and had a shape like Betty White I would have passed on it but hay I'm just cannuck. I spent 6 hours on the car cleaning out the carbs. I called her up and says it running great but you have to maintain the car better , come and get it. Sure glad the wife was at the cottage , oh well that's another story. Ok she comes over and says what was wrong , I said mam "just crap in the carburators" . All she wanted to know is how often should she do that :)

[@SouthMainAuto]

Steve Rob Betty white?! The old lady from the golden girls?! Steve you are confusing me.. put down the Milwaukee and snap out of it man! Bahhaah that is a great story though :) I just picture betty white takin a dump in her carbs on her lambo now... lol thanks steve haha

[@donaldrackley626]

Great video Mr owe 👍

[@bensullivan]

Worst job - replacing the AC compressor on my old 05 Audi S4. The thing is chain driven and buried beneath the engine. Audi repairs always begin with "Step 1) Remove front of car."

[@GabrielTrif]

Working on Audi requires a lot of yoga. Also ample use of words like "sakrament" and "kruzifix" guarantees a better outcome. :D

[@1337penguinman]

Those Germans have "interesting" ideas about vehicle maintenance. Step 1: Remove engine Step 2: Loosen tensioner and remove serpentine belt Step 3: Replace serpentine belt Step 4: Reinstall engine.

[@blackericdenice]

I have a joke only a person who has worked on an Audi will get. "He was fronting like an Audi with an inline 6 cylinder."

[@mobilemechman]

The nightmare that sticks out in my mind is a '91 Camaro heater core. I think I had about 20 hours in that job :)

[@SouthMainAuto]

mobilemechman Oh man , more than the cars worth right?

[@shaunadams3170]

Worse job would have to be 2003 supercharged Buick regal brought to the shop after being at other shops. The heads had been redone, new water pump, cluster was failing and it would hot sitting in traffic. Oh and it had a coolant leak at the coolant manifold gasket on the driver side of the intake. So I installed a new cluster, new intake and plenum gasket sets, lower thermostat (180) new temp sensor flushed coolant system and external condenser and radiator flush triple checked cooling fans. Oh and the owner already had the tranny cooler transferred to a separate cooler. Used a thermal imager to view it after bringing it to temp, test driving it and letting it sit idle against the front of the shop. Coolant was 20 degrees difference between rad hoses condenser was at 143 thermostat housing on intake was at 199 and the bypass elbow under the supercharger and the area around it was at 222. Talked to the owner and he said he needed and had to have it and was going to drive it. Well he had been driving it ever since he had the heads done. Oh and short trim was at 0 and long term was at -19. I wanted to know what the other shop did to the heads and figure out why it acted like that. I still can't get it off my mind it haunts me. I wonder about the shape of that new water pump. Any thoughts?

[@iangriff50]

"Cat of nine tails" A short handle whip with nine lines used to punish offenders in the Royal Navy. Kept in a cloth bag, so the saying "Let the cat out of the bag" is a reference to the Cat of nine tails being taken out of the bag to carry out the punishment.

[@SouthMainAuto]

Ian Griffiths Ahhhh thanks very interesting :)

[@zeekzeek909]

you have the best video on this subject. thank you

[@pauldionne1665]

Sherlock, in his early days LOVE IT. SHERLOCK (Mechanic of Auto) show starring Eric. Many thanks from ALL your viewers Sir, when your car needs to be repaired and you want to or have too , the fix is on one of his videos or you should at least SEE what your up against and how to REACH said repair. Just watch and find out.