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It goes way back to when I got my first truck 1985 Nissan. My dad said you break it you fix it... and handed me the repair manual for it. Lol.

I honestly have no idea what a mechanics shop would charge for this whole process but I know I did it at a fraction of the cost. I need to call and see what they would charge… just for fun.

Haha, calling just to check the price, smooth lol.
Well it sounds like your dad was quite a tough guy, I bet it was a fun and scary experience in the same time
I must tell you that I have the utmost respect for people doing the hard jobs, from plumber to mechanic to everything we call dirty jobs , they deserve the money, if only those money would go straight in their pockets instead of paying the boss too much.
You did a good job!